Euphorbia plant named ‘BONPRI 1756’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Euphorbia plant named ‘BONPRI 1756’, characterized by its upright and mounded plant habit; vigorous growth habit; freely branching habit; inflorescences with red-colored flower bracts; and good post-production longevity.

Botanical designation: Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. ex Klotzsch X Euphorbia cornastra.

Cultivar denomination: ‘BONPRI 1756’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Euphorbia plant, an interspecific hybrid botanically known as Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. ex Klotzsch X Euphorbia cornastra, and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name ‘BONPRI 1756’.

The new Euphorbia plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Yellow Rock, New South Wales, Australia. The objective of the program is to create and develop new interspecific Euphorbia plants with compact, upright and mounded plant habit and attractive flower bracts.

The new Euphorbia plant is a naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of a proprietary selection of Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. ex Klotzsch X Euphorbia cornastra identified as code number Eu 15-16, not patented. The new Euphorbia plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within a population of plants of the mutation parent selection in a controlled greenhouse environment in Yellow Rock, New South Wales, Australia in September, 2017.

Asexual reproduction of the new Euphorbia plant by terminal vegetative cuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in Yellow Rock, New South Wales, Australia since September, 2017 has shown that the unique features of this new Euphorbia plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations of asexual reproduction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Euphorbia have not been observed under all possible combinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘BONPRI 1756’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘BONPRI 1756’ as a new and distinct Euphorbia plant:

-   -   1. Upright and mounded plant habit.     -   2. Vigorous growth habit.     -   3. Freely branching habit.     -   4. Inflorescences with red-colored flower bracts.     -   5. Good post-production longevity.

Plants of the new Euphorbia differ primarily from plants of the mutation parent selection in flower bract color as flower bracts of plants of the new Euphorbia are more orangish red in color than flower bracts of plants of the mutation parent selection.

Plants of the new Euphorbia can be compared to plants of the Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. ex Klotzsch X Euphorbia cornastra ‘Bonpridepcom’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 21,324. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Euphorbia differ primarily from plants of ‘Bonpridepcom’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Euphorbia are taller, broader and more         vigorous than plants of ‘Bonpridepcom’.     -   2. Plants of the new Euphorbia have smaller leaves than plants         of ‘Bonpridepcom’.     -   3. Leaves of plants of the new Euphorbia are lanceolate in shape         whereas leaves of plants of ‘Bonpridepcom’ are ovate in shape.     -   4. Plants of the new Euphorbia have fewer flower bracts per         inflorescence than plants of ‘Bonpridepcom’.     -   5. Plants of the new Euphorbia have smaller flower bracts per         inflorescence than plants of ‘Bonpridepcom’.     -   6. Plants of the new Euphorbia and ‘Bonpridepcom’ differ in         flower bract color as flower bracts of plants of the new         Euphorbia are red in color whereas flower bracts of plants of         ‘Bonpridepcom’ are dark red purple in color.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Euphorbia plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Euphorbia plant.

The photograph at the top of the photographic sheet (FIG. 1 ) is a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘BONPRI 1756’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the bottom of the photographic sheet (FIG. 2 ) is a top perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘BONPRI 1756’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

Plants used in the aforementioned photographs and described herewith in detail were grown during the autumn and early winter in 10.5-cm containers in an outdoor nursery in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan and under cultural practices typical of commercial Euphorbia production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures averaged 23 C and night temperatures averaged 13 C. Plants were six months old when the photographs and the description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2015 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. ex Klotzsch X     Euphorbia cornastra ‘BONPRI 1756’. -   Parentage: Naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of a proprietary     selection of Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. ex Klotzsch X Euphorbia     cornastra identified as code number Eu 15-16, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About ten days at             temperatures about 20 C to 21 C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About twelve days at             temperatures about 20 C to 21 C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About 24 days             at temperatures about 20 C to 21 C.

Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About 28 days at temperatures about 20 C to 21 C.

-   -   -   Root description.—Fibrous; typically white in color, actual             color of the roots is dependent on substrate composition,             water quality, fertilizers, substrate temperature and             physiological age of roots.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; medium density.

-   Plant description:     -   -   Plant habit and form.—Upright and mounded plant habit;             inverted triangle; inflorescences positioned above the             foliar plane; vigorous growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 17 cm.         -   Plant diameter or spread.—About 24.2 cm.         -   Lateral branch description.—Branching habit: Freely             branching habit, about five lateral branches develop per             plant. Length: About 10 cm. Diameter: About 3.5 mm.             Internode length: About 1.4 cm. Aspect: Mostly upright to             somewhat outward. Strength: Moderately strong. Texture and             luster: Smooth, glabrous; glossy. Color: Close to 146A.         -   Leaf description.—Arrangement: Alternate, simple. Length:             About 6.2 cm. Width: About 3.7 cm. Shape: Lanceolate. Apex:             Acute. Base: Rounded. Margin: Mostly entire, occasionally             with few shallow lobes. Venation pattern: Pinnate,             reticulate. Texture and luster, upper and lower surfaces:             Rugose, glabrous; matte. Color: When expanding and fully             developed leaves, upper surface: Close to NN137A; venation,             close to 138B. When expanded and fully developed leaves,             lower surface: Close to NN137C; venation, close to 138B.             Petioles: Length: About 1.9 cm. Diameter: About 1.5 mm.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color,             upper and lower surfaces: Close to 138B.

-   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Inflorescence type and habit.—Inflorescences are compound             corymbs of cyathia with numerous flower bracts subtending             the cyathia; inflorescences positioned above the foliar             plane.         -   Quantity of inflorescences.—One per lateral branch, about             five inflorescences develop per plant.         -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 16.4 cm.         -   Inflorescence height.—About 6.5 cm.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Natural flowering season.—Plants typically flower during the             autumn and winter in Japan; inflorescence initiation and             development can also be induced under artificial long             nyctoperiod and short photoperiod conditions; early             flowering response, plants flower about 50 days under             natural season or photoinductive conditions in Japan.         -   Post-production longevity.—Good post-production longevity;             plants of the new Euphorbia maintain good substance and             bract color for about six to eight weeks.         -   Flower bracts.—Quantity per inflorescence: About eleven.             Length: About 2.3 cm. Width: About 1.5 cm. Aspect: Mostly             horizontal and flat. Shape: Elliptic. Apex: Acute. Base:             Attenuate. Margin: Mostly entire, occasionally with few             shallow lobes. Texture and luster, upper surface: Smooth,             glabrous; matte. Texture and luster, lower surface: Rough,             glabrous; matte. Venation pattern: Pinnate, reticulate.             Color: Transitional bracts, upper surface: Random sectors,             close to 202A and 46A. Transitional bracts, lower surface:             Random sectors, close to 143C and 53A. Developing bracts,             upper surface: Close to N45A. Developing bracts, lower             surface: Close to 53A. Fully expanded bracts, upper surface:             Close to N45A; venation, close to N45C; color does not             change with subsequent development. Fully expanded bracts,             lower surface: Close to 45A; venation, close to 47C; color             does not change with subsequent development. Flower bract             petioles: Length: About 5 mm. Diameter: About 1.3 mm.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color,             upper and lower surfaces: Close to 45A.         -   Cyathia.—Quantity per corymb: About 16. Diameter of cyathia             cluster: About 3 cm. Height, individual cyathium: About             5.2 mm. Diameter, individual cyathium: About 3.9 mm. Shape,             individual cyathium: Globose. Color: Distally, close to 46A             and proximally, close to 145A. Nectaries: Quantity per             cyathium: Three. Size: About 2 mm by 3.3 mm. Texture:             Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to 145A with edge, close to             46C.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 1.6 mm. Diameter: About 1.3 mm.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Aspect:             Mostly upright. Color, upper and lower surfaces: Close to             144B.         -   Reproductive organs.—To date, stamen and pistil development             have not been observed on plants of the new Euphorbia.         -   Seeds and fruits.—To date, seed and fruit development have             not been observed on plants of the new Euphorbia.

-   Pathogen & pest resistance: To date, plants of the new Euphorbia     have not been shown to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to     Euphorbia plants.

-   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Euphorbia have been     observed to tolerate temperatures ranging from about 8 C to about 40     C. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Euphorbia plant named ‘BONPRI 1756’ as illustrated and described. 